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COLUMBIA — Another year, another horrific estimate for fixing South Carolina’s roads and bridges, in this case almost $30 billion.

But whether the latest report by the State Transportation Infrastructure Task Force results in any change is entirely up to the Legislature. And legislative leaders told GreenvilleOnline.com they are uncertain if transportation funding will be addressed next year in any meaningful way.

“I think the big bear when we go back in will be what to do about Medicaid expansion,” said Senate President Pro Tempore John Courson. “Until we get Medicaid under control in South Carolina, I don’t see us going off on any other spending plan.”

Sen. Mike Fair of Greenville, who serves on the Senate Finance Committee, said there is an argument for giving the Department of Transportation a priority in the state’s budget. But he said that would require removing funds from another agency.

“I don’t think it will be addressed right away,” he said of transportation funding by legislators. “We do need more revenues before we look at any major plan for funding.”

The task force spent a year studying the state’s transportation needs and the expected available revenue before issuing its final report.

The state will need $48.3 billion over the next 20 years for its infrastructure needs, according to the report, including $17 billion for highway system maintenance, $22 billion for highway and interstate upgrades, $3 billion for bridge replacement and $3.9 billion for mass transit.

That would bring the system to a C-level of service, according to the report.

But officials only expect a total of $19 billion in revenue over that time period, meaning the state would need to find another $29.3 billion.

“The consequences of inaction are clear and predictable,” the report states. “Deterioration of roads and bridges, reduced highway safety, the posting or closing of bridges, increased traffic congestion, increased vehicle upkeep and a loss of economic competitiveness.”

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Some secondary roads, according to the report, may be returned to “tar and gravel” status.

The report also addresses arguments by those backing new construction and those pushing for maintenance.

“The truth is that South Carolina has been unable to meet its construction or maintenance needs because of inadequate funding over an extended period of time,” the report states. “The opposing sides seem unable to see they are ‘fighting over crumbs.’”

Instead of recommending any one revenue source, the group asks that legislators diversify the state’s funding stream for transportation. Almost all of the state’s road and bridge money comes from state fuel taxes or federal dollars.

Among the revenue sources the group mentions as possibilities for new funding are increases in the 16.75 cents per gallon gas tax, the fourth lowest in the nation; indexing fuel taxes for inflation; increasing vehicle registration or driver license fees; creating an insurance safety surcharge fee; alternative fuel vehicle fees or switching to a vehicle miles traveled fee system.

The gas tax was last raised in 1987 and has been a diminishing revenue source in recent years because of increased fuel efficiency in cars, the addition of alternative energy vehicles and periods of less driving, officials have said.

Fair said he doesn’t see the gas tax being increased “any time in the near future.” But he said if government encourages drilling and the price of gas falls, legislators might revisit the issue.

He said as for other fees, “The numbers (for passage) aren’t there in the Senate.”

Rep. Garry Smith, a Simpsonville Republican who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, said the problem of crumbling roads is genuine and needs to be addressed. And he said South Carolina’s neighboring states use general fund money to supplement fuel taxes to fix and build roads there.

However, he said, there is a feeling among some lawmakers that before the Legislature adds money to the Department of Transportation, its governing structure should be addressed.

Last year, attempts were made in both bodies at reforming the agency’s board, with some legislators and Gov. Nikki Haley wanting to abolish it. Those moves failed.

“I’m not sure there’s sentiment in the General Assembly to trust the present makeup of the commission with additional funds,” he said. “Until that issue is addressed, then the legitimate discussion of the additional revenues and where they would come from is probably not going to happen.”

Rep. Harry Ott, leader of the House Democrats and a member of Ways and Means, said it’s likely lawmakers will debate the issue of additional Department of Transportation funding.

“I don’t see any revenue enhancement measures being voted on as long as we’re in this current downturn in the economy,” he said.

Ott said he sees little appetite among legislators to raise the gas tax or any of the fees suggested by the task force.

“All of that ends up being a tax on the general population,” he said. “In my language that’s a tax increase.”